Time to think Languages

The idea of a new and wonderful initiative in teaching is a very beguiling one.  We would love to think that there may be an incredible, innovative way to share our knowledge with others that requires less time, effort and energy on the part of both the learner and the teacher.  But let's be honest, those of us who have been at this for a while realise that sadly, this is just not the case.  However, this doesn't mean that there aren't particular methods that work well for particular groups or for particular subjects. Some subjects lend themselves to more active, hands-on approaches, whereas others, in order to make serious progress really need the kind of academic study which doesn't often involve kinesthetic or visual learning.  Whilst VAK was officially debunked a few years ago, I think that it's important to recognise that we all have different learning preferences.  Where these preferences come from may be debatable, but the fact that they exist is not. ...

Praise be! I read a really interesting article recently, about the type of praise we should be giving pupils for maximum benefit.  The article quoted studies that have been done that show the best type of praise and feedback is that which praises the pupil's effort and resilience.   Unlike praise given for achievement, which may feel like something very fragile, something you can mess up with the next piece of work, which isn't as good, the time and effort that you put into a piece of work is something well within your control.   Indeed, it was shown that this form of praise and feedback is instrumental in improving engagement within the classroom and creating a positive work environment. So next time, remember to praise the endeavour first and the outcome second! "You've worked really hard on this and I can clearly see how much effort you've put in - that's fantastic!"